On Thursday, nearly two weeks after the deadline, the state legislature presented a budget to Governor Shapiro. That budget includes historic investments in education, economic development, affordable housing, public transit, and more.
Education funding was a top priority after a 2023 court ruling determined Pennsylvania’s funding of public schools to be unconstitutional. Lawmakers are praising the new investments in public education, including State Representatives Mike Schlossberg and Peter Schweyer of the Lehigh Valley.
In a statement, Representative Schlossberg called the budget a significant step toward “the pursuit of fair funding” for districts like Allentown and Parkland. The Parkland School District will see a $2.4 million increase, while Allentown will see a $35.9 million increase, along with ongoing adjustments for fair funding.
Representative Schweyer, who serves as the Majority Chairman for the Pennsylvania Education Committee, said in a statement that this budget will start to fix decades of underfunding that’s “left many schools further behind.”
Governor Shapiro echoed the pride felt by many members of the State Congress at a press conference Thursday. The budget negotiations, he said, illustrate a willingness for both parties to work together.
“We are the only state in the nation with a divided legislature… Here in Pennsylvania, we are proving that we can make progress, that we can bring people together to solve big problems.”
